From the Principal – 23 March 2023

Harmony Day

We Pray
We gather at CMC to think about living in harmony with other people. Harmony means getting along smoothly with others.
Send us courage, we pray, O Lord,
that we may follow your ways closely.
May our decisions be thoughtful and our actions kind
that we might live in loving harmony with others.
We ask these prayers in Jesus’ name, Amen.

We listen
A Reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians (3: 12 – 15)
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever arguments you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Last Tuesday we were encouraged to wear a touch of orange to celebrate Harmony Day, which is part of National Harmony Week. The colour orange is chosen because it signifies social communication and relates to mutual respect and the freedom of ideas.

In Australia, our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as take on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation.

Sandhurst Switches Off

Tomorrow our College will participate in Sandhurst Switches Off. Students at Coolock will work without lights and student laptops for the day, while St Mary’s will go without lights all day and not use student laptops for the last two periods of the day.

This small gesture of relying less on energy use is a symbol of solidarity with all who are suffering due to climate change. It is also a reminder of our reGEN commitment to making changes to reduce our impact on the planet.

The timing of this day supports Earth Hour 2023 on Saturday 25 March, which is a worldwide commitment to taking time out to work together for a sustainable future.

As a reGEN School, CMC provides the opportunity for students to take an active interest in environmental and social justice concerns. We want students to consider how their actions affect the environment and others, and to work towards correcting imbalances and injustices in our common home.

Year 8 Camp

This week our Year 8 students took part in the camp to Anglesea. The camp includes many different activities and students enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with each other and get out of the classroom. We thank the students for their behaviour while on camp and appreciate the staff who leave their own families to ensure that our students are able to have such a memorable experience.

Farewell to the Driscolls

I have recently been notified that two of our senior teachers will be retiring from our College. Mr Damian Driscoll and Mrs Terrie Driscoll have devoted their teaching careers to the service of our community and have played an important role in the lives of so many students and their families for over forty years.

Both Terrie and Damian have not only taught at our College throughout many changes from St Mary’s College, Marist Brothers’ College and Catholic College Bendigo, but both of them were once students here themselves.

While reflecting on her career and the teachers she has worked with, Terrie said:

“I have been privileged to work with amazing educators across many disciplines and feel gratitude for the relationships formed over the many years. It is humbling to share in the gifts and talents of our educators and observe the strength of their willingness to be ever-adaptable to the constantly changing landscape and expectations of what it means to be a teacher.

I know the many students I have encountered and taught have changed me. I can only hope that my role in their lifelong journey as learners opened possibilities, fired up their imagination and gave them some foundation to support their stories going forward.”

As a community, we will look forward to the opportunity to hold a fitting celebration to acknowledge their service and say farewell.

Farewell to Mr Michael Goss

It is with a heavy heart that we also farewell Mr Michael Goss. Mr Goss returned to CMC in 2020 after being here from 1990 to 2004 during our CCB days.

Mr Goss has been instrumental in developing and directing Faith and Mission across both campuses and is the catalyst for increases in Mass and liturgy celebrations post-Covid. We wish him every success and thank him for his contribution to leadership and his support of many students and peers over two significant periods of time.

Mr Goss is heading off on long service leave for the next four weeks but will be back to farewell our community in May, before heading off to his next challenge.

Uniform

As the term draws to a close, our commitment to our uniform remains the same: whether it is the beginning or end of the term, we expect all students to wear their uniform with pride and respect. Wearing the uniform correctly creates equity, establishes a sense of belonging and promotes our College.

For the remaining two weeks of term, students are expected to wear hats when outdoors. In Terms 2 and 3, students wear the winter uniform which includes the blazer. It is expected that the blazer is worn to and from school and may be worn throughout the day for extra warmth.

Now is the time to check that students have what they need to wear the winter uniform correctly once we return from the term break. Below is an article with all the necessary information and links to make it as easy as possible for parents and carers to prepare for the uniform changeover.

End of Term

I’m sure we are all looking forward to the coming break that the end of term and Easter brings. Project Compassion is our major fundraiser for Term 1. On the final day, we aim to raise significant funds for Caritas while celebrating the term – a mix of reflection, fun and fundraising is a great way to build community and finish the term positively.

Have a great week.